Dr. Abul Kalam Azad is a Clinical Laboratory Geneticist. After graduating from Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, he worked as a physician in internal medicine. He did his MSc in Biotechnology at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand. He developed a biodegradable chitosan membrane dressing for wound management during his MSc. Further, he joined as a Research Fellow at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea, and worked on the neurogenetics of GABAergic neurons in transgenic mice.

Dr. Azad obtained his PhD in Human Genetics from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. During his PhD, he investigated the role of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) gene in developing and modifying the cystic fibrosis (CF) disease pathophysiology. His Post-Doctoral training at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada is to find out the prognostic and predictive genetic markers of upper aero-digestive tract cancer that has a significant clinical outcome for patient care and treatment. After finishing the post-doc, he joined as a Research Scientist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, where he worked on various projects to generate genomic and proteomic data for diagnostic genetic markers of connective tissue and genitourinary cancers; anti-cancer drugs and their effect on molecular pathogenesis.

Dr. Azad received the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG)/Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG) fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center, New York. During LGG fellowship training, he established the Laboratory Developed Test for next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect somatic mutations and carrier screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He also improved the cytogenetics karyotyping protocols for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma (MM) with the proper stimulant. Dr. Azad published numerous seminal studies in high-impact journals that have been cited extensively in the respected fields. During his academic tenure, he supervised and trained several physicians, medical and graduate students.

Azad AK, Sermsintham N, Chandrkrachang S, Stevens WF. Chitosan membrane as a wound-healing dressing: characterization and clinical application. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2004 May 15;69(2):216-22. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.30000. PubMed PMID: 15116411.

Mutesa L, Azad AK, Verhaeghe C, Segers K, Vanbellinghen JF, Ngendahayo L, Rusingiza EK, Mutwa PR, Rulisa S, Koulischer L, Cassiman JJ, Cuppens H, Bours V. Genetic analysis of Rwandan patients with cystic fibrosis-like symptoms: identification of novel cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and epithelial sodium channel gene variants. Chest. 2009 May;135(5):1233-1242. doi: 10.1378/chest.08-2246. Epub 2008 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 19017867.

Azad AK, Rauh R, Vermeulen F, Jaspers M, Korbmacher J, Boissier B, Bassinet L, Fichou Y, des Georges M, Stanke F, De Boeck K, Dupont L, Balascáková M, Hjelte L, Lebecque P, Radojkovic D, Castellani C, Schwartz M, Stuhrmann M, Schwarz M, Skalicka V, de Monestrol I, Girodon E, Férec C, Claustres M, Tümmler B, Cassiman JJ, Korbmacher C, Cuppens H. Mutations in the amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel in patients with cystic fibrosis-like disease. Hum Mutat. 2009 Jul;30(7):1093-103. doi: 10.1002/humu.21011. PubMed PMID: 19462466.

Huber R, Krueger B, Diakov A, Korbmacher J, Haerteis S, Einsiedel J, Gmeiner P, Azad AK, Cuppens H, Cassiman JJ, Korbmacher C, Rauh R. Functional characterization of a partial loss-of-function mutation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) associated with atypical cystic fibrosis. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2010;25(1):145-58. doi: 10.1159/000272059. Epub 2009 Dec 22. PubMed PMID: 20054153.

Rauh R, Diakov A, Tzschoppe A, Korbmacher J, Azad AK, Cuppens H, Cassiman JJ, Dötsch J, Sticht H, Korbmacher C. A mutation of the epithelial sodium channel associated with atypical cystic fibrosis increases channel open probability and reduces Na+ self inhibition. J Physiol. 2010 Apr 15;588(Pt 8):1211-25. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.180224. Epub 2010 Mar 1. PubMed PMID: 20194130; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2872728.

Qiu X, Zhang F, Chen D, Azad AK, Zhang L, Yuan Y, Jiang Z, Liu W, Tan Y, Tao N. HLA-B*07 is a high risk allele for familial cervical cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2011;12(10):2597-600. PubMed PMID: 22320938.

Horgan AM, Yang B, Azad AK, Amir E, John T, Cescon DW, Wheatley-Price P, Hung RJ, Shepherd FA, Liu G. Pharmacogenetic and germline prognostic markers of lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2011 Feb;6(2):296-304. doi: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e3181ffe909. PubMed PMID: 21206385.

Liu G, Gramling S, Munoz D, Cheng D, Azad AK, Mirshams M, Chen Z, Xu W, Roberts H, Shepherd FA, Tsao MS, Reisman D. Two novel BRM insertion promoter sequence variants are associated with loss of BRM expression and lung cancer risk. Oncogene. 2011 Jul 21;30(29):3295-304. doi: 10.1038/onc.2011.81. Epub 2011 Apr 11. PubMed PMID: 21478907; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3400140.

Azad AK, Bairati I, Samson E, Cheng D, Mirshams M, Qiu X, Savas S, Waldron J, Wang C, Goldstein D, Xu W, Meyer F, Liu G. Validation of genetic sequence variants as prognostic factors in early-stage head and neck squamous cell cancer survival. Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Jan 1;18(1):196-206. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-1759. Epub 2011 Nov 10. PubMed PMID: 22076708.

Azad AK, Bairati I, Samson E, Cheng D, Cheng L, Mirshams M, Savas S, Waldron J, Wang C, Goldstein D, Xu W, Meyer F, Liu G. Genetic sequence variants and the development of secondary primary cancers in patients with head and neck cancers. Cancer. 2012 Mar 15;118(6):1554-65. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26446. Epub 2011 Aug 25. PubMed PMID: 22009713.

Eng L, Azad AK, Habbous S, Pang V, Xu W, Maitland-van der Zee AH, Savas S, Mackay HJ, Amir E, Liu G. Vascular endothelial growth factor pathway polymorphisms as prognostic and pharmacogenetic factors in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Sep 1;18(17):4526-37. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-12-1315. Epub 2012 Jun 25. PubMed PMID: 22733538.

Wang JR, Gramling SJ, Goldstein DP, Cheng D, Chen D, Azad AK, Tse A, Hon H, Chen Z, Mirshams M, Simpson C, Huang SH, Marquez S, O'Sullivan B, Liu FF, Roberts H, Xu W, Brown DH, Gilbert RW, Gullane PJ, Irish JC, Reisman DN, Liu G. Association of two BRM promoter polymorphisms with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk. Carcinogenesis. 2013 May;34(5):1012-7. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgt008. Epub 2013 Jan 15. PubMed PMID: 23322154.

Azad AK, Bairati I, Qiu X, Huang H, Cheng D, Liu G, Meyer F, Adjei A, Xu W. Genetic sequence variants in vitamin D metabolism pathway genes, serum vitamin D level and outcome in head and neck cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2013 Jun 1;132(11):2520-7. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27946. Epub 2012 Dec 14. PubMed PMID: 23169318.

Wong KM, Qiu X, Cheng D, Azad AK, Habbous S, Palepu P, Mirshams M, Patel D, Chen Z, Roberts H, Knox J, Marquez S, Wong R, Darling G, Waldron J, Goldstein D, Leighl N, Shepherd FA, Tsao M, Der S, Reisman D, Liu G. Two BRM promoter insertion polymorphisms increase the risk of early-stage upper aerodigestive tract cancers. Cancer Med. 2014 Apr;3(2):426-33. doi: 10.1002/cam4.201. Epub 2014 Feb 12. PubMed PMID: 24519853; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3987092.

Azad AK, Qiu X, Boyd K, Kuang Q, Emami M, Perera N, Palepu P, Patel D, Chen Z, Cheng D, Feld R, Leighl NB, Shepherd FA, Tsao MS, Xu W, Liu G, Cuffe S. A genetic sequence variant (GSV) at susceptibility loci of 5p15.33 (TERT-CLPTM1L) is associated with survival outcome in locally advanced and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung Cancer. 2014 Jun;84(3):289-94. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2014.03.008. Epub 2014 Mar 13. PubMed PMID: 24679952.

Cuffe S, Hon H, Qiu X, Tobros K, Wong CK, De Souza B, McFarlane G, Masroor S, Azad AK, Hasani E, Rozanec N, Leighl N, Alibhai S, Xu W, Issa AM, Liu G. Cancer patients acceptance, understanding, and willingness-to-pay for pharmacogenomic testing. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2014 Jul;24(7):348-55. doi: 10.1097/FPC.0000000000000061. PubMed PMID: 24911662.

Eng L, Azad AK, Qiu X, Kong QQ, Cheng D, Ying N, Tse A, Kuang Q, Dodbiba L, Renouf DJ, Marsh S, Savas S, Mackay HJ, Knox JJ, Darling GE, Wong RK, Xu W, Liu G, Faluyi OO. Discovery and validation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway polymorphisms in esophageal adenocarcinoma outcome. Carcinogenesis. 2015 Sep;36(9):956-62. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgv073. Epub 2015 May 25. PubMed PMID: 26014353.

May CD, Garnett J, Ma X, Landers SM, Ingram DR, Demicco EG, Al Sannaa GA, Vu T, Han L, Zhang Y, Kivlin CM, Bolshakov S, Kalam AA, Liu J, Zhou F, Broccoli D, Wang WL, Lazar AJ, Pollock RE, Lev D, Torres KE. AXL is a potential therapeutic target in dedifferentiated and pleomorphic liposarcomas. BMC Cancer. 2015 Nov 14;15:901. doi: 10.1186/s12885-015-1916-3. PubMed PMID: 26573603; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4647521.

Kivlin CM, Watson KL, Al Sannaa GA, Belousov R, Ingram DR, Huang KL, May CD, Bolshakov S, Landers SM, Kalam AA, Slopis JM, McCutcheon IE, Pollock RE, Lev D, Lazar AJ, Torres KE. Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase inhibition: A potential treatment of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Cancer Biol Ther. 2016;17(2):129-38. doi: 10.1080/15384047.2015.1108486. Epub 2015 Dec 9. PubMed PMID: 26650448; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4847988.

Cuffe S, Azad AK, Qiu X, Qiu X, Brhane Y, Kuang Q, Marsh S, Savas S, Chen Z, Cheng D, Leighl NB, Goss G, Laurie SA, Seymour L, Bradbury PA, Shepherd FA, Tsao MS, Chen BE, Xu W, Liu G. ABCC2 polymorphisms and survival in the Princess Margaret cohort study and the NCIC clinical trials group BR.24 trial of platinum-treated advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiol. 2016 Apr;41:50-6. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2015.12.012. Epub 2016 Jan 24. PubMed PMID: 26816351.

Azad AK, Bairati I, Qiu X, Girgis H, Cheng L, Waggott D, Cheng D, Mirshams M, Ho J, Fortin A, Vigneault E, Huang SH, O'Sullivan B, Waldron J, Boutros PC, Goldstein D, Meyer F, Xu W, Liu G. A genome-wide association study of non-HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma identifies prognostic genetic sequence variants in the MAP-kinase and hormone pathways. Cancer Epidemiol. 2016 Jun;42:173-80. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2016.05.001. Epub 2016 May 9. PubMed PMID: 27173062.

Faluyi OO, Eng L, Qiu X, Che J, Zhang Q, Cheng D, Ying N, Tse A, Kuang Q, Dodbiba L, Renouf DJ, Marsh S, Savas S, Mackay HJ, Knox JJ, Darling GE, Wong RK, Xu W, Azad AK, Liu G. Validation of microRNA pathway polymorphisms in esophageal adenocarcinoma survival. Cancer Med. 2017 Feb;6(2):361-373. doi: 10.1002/cam4.989. Epub 2017 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 28074552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5313634.

Korpanty GJ, Eng L, Qiu X, Faluyi OO, Renouf DJ, Cheng D, Patel D, Chen Z, Tse BC, Knox JJ, Dodbiba L, Teichman J, Azad AK, Wong R, Darling G, Reisman D, Cuffe S, Liu G, Xu W. Association of BRM promoter polymorphisms and esophageal adenocarcinoma outcome. Oncotarget. 2017 Apr 25;8(17):28093-28100. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.15890. PubMed PMID: 28427211; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5438633.

Liu G, Cuffe S, Liang S, Azad AK, Cheng L, Brhane Y, Qiu X, Cescon DW, Bruce J, Chen Z, Cheng D, Patel D, Tse BC, Laurie SA, Goss G, Leighl NB, Hung R, Bradbury PA, Seymour L, Shepherd FA, Tsao MS, Chen BE, Xu W, Reisman DN. BRM Promoter Polymorphisms and Survival of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients in the Princess Margaret Cohort and CCTG BR.24 Trial. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 May 15;23(10):2460-2470. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-1640. Epub 2016 Nov 8. PubMed PMID: 27827316; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5422138.

Li L, Karanika S, Yang G, Wang J, Park S, Broom BM, Manyam GC, Wu W, Luo Y, Basourakos S, Song JH, Gallick GE, Karantanos T, Korentzelos D, Azad AK, Kim J, Corn PG, Aparicio AM, Logothetis CJ, Troncoso P, Heffernan T, Toniatti C, Lee HS, Lee JS, Zuo X, Chang W, Yin J, Thompson TC. Androgen receptor inhibitor-induced "BRCAness" and PARP inhibition are synthetically lethal for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Sci Signal. 2017 May 23;10(480). doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aam7479. PubMed PMID: 28536297; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5855082.

Zhang W, Liu B, Wu W, Li L, Broom BM, Basourakos SP, Korentzelos D, Luan Y, Wang J, Yang G, Park S, Azad AK, Cao X, Kim J, Corn PG, Logothetis CJ, Aparicio AM, Chinnaiyan AM, Navone N, Troncoso P, Thompson TC. Targeting the MYCN-PARP-DNA Damage Response Pathway in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Feb 1;24(3):696-707. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-1872. Epub 2017 Nov 14. PubMed PMID: 29138344; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5823274.

Luo Y, Azad AK, Karanika S, Basourakos SP, Zuo X, Wang J, Yang L, Yang G, Korentzelos D, Yin J, Park S, Zhang P, Campbell JJ, Schall TJ, Cao G, Li L, Thompson TC. Enzalutamide and CXCR7 inhibitor combination treatment suppresses cell growth and angiogenic signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer models. Int J Cancer. 2018 May 15;142(10):2163-2174. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31237. Epub 2018 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 29277895; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5867246.

Azad AK, Huang CK, Jin H, Zou H, Yanakakis L, Du J, Fiddler M, Naeem R, Goldstein Y. Enhanced Carrier Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Detection of Silent (SMN1: 2 + 0) Carriers Utilizing a Novel TaqMan Genotyping Method. Lab Med. 2020 Jul 8;51(4):408-415. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmz088. PubMed PMID: 31875889.

Azad AK, Yanakakis L, Issleb S, Turina J, Drabik K, Bonner C, Simi E, Wagner A, Fiddler M, Naeem R. De novo mosaic and partial monosomy of chromosome 21 in a case with superior vena cava duplication. Mol Cytogenet. 2020;13:45. doi: 10.1186/s13039-020-00513-2. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32944080; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7488852.